Door operating means for electric couplers



May 9, 1939 H. s'vAN'DoRN 2,157,364

DOOR OPERATINGVMEANS FOR ELECTRIC COUPLERS May 9, 1939.. H. E. VAN DoRN 2,157,364

DOOR OPERATING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC COUPLERS Filed July 19, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 im *H May 9, 1939. HE. VAN DORN DOOR OPERATING vMEANS FOR ELECTRIC COUPLERS Filed July 19, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 9, 1939.

H. E. VAN DORN DOOR OPERATING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC 'COUPLERS Filed July 19, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 /ffw MMM,

May 9, 1939. H. E. VAN DoRN 2,157,364

DOOR OPERATING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC GOUPLERS Filed July 19z 1937 5 sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 9, 1939 PATENT OFFICE DOOR OPERATING DIEANS FOR ELECTRIC COUPLERS Herbert E. Van Dorn,

Chicago, Ill., assigner to The Dornvan Corporation, acorporation ofllllinois Application July 19, 1937, Serial No. 154,404

9 Claims.

In electric railway systems it is a common practice to attach to the usual car couplers electric couplers for establishing proper electrical connections between conductors or circuitsV throughput a train 01"' cars. In the simpler forms of electric couplers the contacts normally project slightly. beyond the` coupler faces so that the contacts on two meeting cars abut against each other when the cars are mechanically coupled together.; the

10` contacts being spring-pressed so as to be yieldable in the lengthwise direction. With couplers of. this type it is required that the contacts be covered by a suitable door or other closure except during the times that their couplers are not operat'vely connected 4to complementary couplers on other cars. It is desirable that these doors or other closures operate automatically so as to cause them to close immediately upon the uncoupling of cars and to open, during the act of cougorpling'the cars together,` but far enough in ad- `vance of the completion of the act of coupling, to insure that thedoors or closures on two meeting electric couplers will not interfere with each other or with the coupling operation. M The object of the present invention is to proi "duce asimple and novel operating means for the doer of an electric coupler, which will permit the coupler to be rigidly' secured in a predetermined positionupon a car coupler and the coupler door gqvthereafter to be operated automatically, without `requiring any change in the construction of the car coupler or its operating means.

The type of car coupler in general use is one in which there is a movable locking dog which may 35. .be pushed back by a part on a complementary Icar coupler andfthereafter returned to its locking position to complete the process of coupling.. In

accordance with my invention, I so construct the door operating mechanism for the electric coupler 40.that when the electric coupler ismounted onv the `car coupler an elementof the operating mechanism projects into the path of the locking dog 1n thecar coupler and is driven thereby in the dooropening direction when the locking dog is moved toward its unlocking position. The return, or "`""closing moyement of the door is brought about by the actionlof a spring; -so that thedoors on two meeting electric couplers are automatically opened in the act of coupling the cars and automatically close when the cars separate from each other. Sincethe operating mechanism for the door of the electric coupler is acted on directly by the locking dog of the car coupler, it is evidentl that no change of any kind need be made in the usual or4 desired operating mechanism for the locking dog. Consequently, no change, whatever, need be made in a car coupler to adapt it to my new type of operating mechanism, than to cut a ating mechanism into the interior ofthe coupler, so as to be positioned in the path of the locking dog.

The Various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding ofmy invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingl drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation, and partly in vertical section, of an electric coupler having operating mechanism arranged in accordance with the present invention and so much of a tight-lock car coupler, supporting the same, as is needed to explain the operation; Fig. 2 is a y View similar to Fig. l, the door of the electric,

coupler being open instead of closed as in the.

latter ligure; Fig. 3 is a View on a larger scale,' similar to Fig. 1, showing more detail, and having a portion of theoperating mechanism broken away to expose partsthat' would be otherwise concealed; Fig. 4 isa View more or less similar to Fig. 3, showing the coupler door open, only a fragment of the locking dog of the car coupler beingshown, and more parts being shown in section than is the case in Fig.. 3; Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3, showing a lesser portion of the mechanism with the parts in the positions which they occupy after the locking dog has traveled on past the position in which the door is com-v pletely opened; Fig. 6 is a plan view of` the door` operating mechanism, on the same scale as Figs. 3 to 54, onlyfragments of the electric coupler casing and door and a fragment of the locking dog. ofthe car coupler being shown; Fig. 7 is a section taken approximately on line 1-1 of Fig. 3, the car coupler being omitted and only a fragment of the electric coupler housing being shown; and Fig. Sis a section on line 8-.8 of Fig. 7, showing only the lever which acts on the coupler door, and the slotted part into which one end of the lever extends and which is connected directly t0- the door.

In the drawings I have illustrated a carl coupler I of the so-called tight-lock type and an electric coupler 2 underlying the head of the car coupler and rigidly fastened thereto by boltsor the like. The present invention is not concerned with the couplers themselves which are old and Well known. Thus, substantially the same car and electric couplers are illustrated in my prior Patent No. 1,819,214, dated August 18, 1931. In said patent the door of the electric coupler is operated by means associated with the device by which the locking dog of the car coupler is shifted manually. In the construction shown in the aforesaid patent, some of the elements by which the door is controlled are necessarily small and some of the joints or connections are such that it is difficult to insure perfect coordination between all of the parts by simply bolting the car and electric couplers together. In accordance with the preesnt invention, the operating mechanism for the door comprises a few rugged members so associated with each other and with the locking dog of the car coupler that plenty of leeway is provided to compensate for variations in castings and in the machining of different couplers, to insure perfect operation of the door on an electric coupler whenever it is rigidly bolted to any car coupler of the type for which it is adapted.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the door 3 of the electric coupler is hinged to the casing of the electric coupler, at 4, so as to be capable of swinging about a horizontal axis in rear thereof from a vertical closed position in front of the electric coupler, as shown in Fig. 1, to open position in which it underlies the front end of the electric coupler, as shown in Fig. 2. The door is normally held in its closed position by a spring. In the arrangement shown, a stem 5 is hingedly connected to the door, as at 6, at a point below and somewhat forwardly of the hinge pin 4 when the door is in its closed position. This` stem terminates in a sleeve-like part 'I open at the rear end. 'I'he stem itself is tubular, as best shown in Fig. 4, the internal diameter being considerably less than that of the part 1. A long rod 8 extends at one end through the sleeve I and into the tubular stem and is fixed to the latter by a pin 9. The rear end of the rod extends through a hole in a flange or ear I3 forming a part of a bracket extending rearwardly from the rear end of the casing of the electric coupler. Surrounding the rod is a compression spring I2, one end of which extends into the sleeve portion 'I of the stem and the other end of which abuts against the ear or flange I0. In assembling the parts, the spring is placed under an initial compression so that when not restrained from doing so, it holds the coupler door closed.

On the side of the part 'I toward the electric coupler housing is a yoke or loop I3 between which and the part 'I is a slot I4 extending longitudinally of the coupler. On the side of the coupler housing is mounted a lever I5 swinging in a vertical plane about an axis parallel to the hinge axis of the door. In the arrangement shown, a headed journal pin I6 extends through the lever at a point remote from both ends of the latter and is fixed to the wall of the coupler housing in such position that the lower end of the lever extends into the slot I4. The parts are so proportioned that when a lever I5 is swung in one direction, it engages with the portion of the loop or yoke I3 at the lower end of the slot I4 and thus forces the sleeve 'I back against the resistance of the spring and opens the door.

The lever I5 is driven in the door-opening dire'ction by means actuated directly by the horizontally swinging locking dog Il' of the car coupler; this locking dog, as in the aforesaid patent, swinging in the horizontal plane from front to rear when shifting from a locking into an unlocking position. In the arrangement shown, two posts or pedestals I8 and I9 rise from the top of the electric coupler housing underneath the car coupler; these rnmebers being spaced apart transversely of the coupler and serving rotatably to support a transverse shaft 20. On the outer end of the shaft 20 is a rugged radial arm 22 having at its free end a long, wide curved iiange 23; the face of the flange farthest from the axis of the shaft 2i) being preferably a fragment of the surface of a cylinder whose axis coincides with that of the shaft. The forward edge of the flange 23 is thickened and rounded, as indicated at 24. The upper end of the lever I5 has a wide flange 25 extending along the rear edge. The parts are so proportioned that the flanges 23 and 25 are in engagement with each other. Normally, when the lever I5 is approximately upright, as shown in Fig. l, the nose 24 on the flange of the lever 22 engages with a part 26 of the rear face of the iiange 25 that is complementary in shape to the working face of the flange 23, being a cylindrical surface of the same radius as the latter. Upon turning the shaft 20 in the clockwise direction, with the parts in position shown in Fig. 1, the nose 24 on the lever 22 forces the upper end of the lever I 5 toward the left, or forward, and rides up along the cylindrical face 26 as that face swings forward and downwardly. Thus, the door is forced into its open position. By the time that the door is fully open, the main cylindrical working face of the flange 23 begins to ride upon the surface 26; but, since the surfaces that are now in engagement with each other are cylindrical surfaces of the same radii, further movement of the lever 22 in the clockwise direction has no effect on the lever I5 or the door. In other words, after the door has opened, the shaft 20 and the lever or arm 22 may continue to turn in the clockwise direction without any other consequence than to lock the door in its open position.

The turning movements of the shaft 20 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, are caused by movements of the locking dog I1 of the car coupler. To this end, the shaft 20 is provided with a radial arm 21 that extends upwardly therefrom through a longitudinal slot 28 in the bottom wall of the car coupler head, directly behind the free end of the locking dog. When the locking dog is swung back, either through impact with a part of another car coupler in the act of making a coupling, or through manual or other operation, the dog strikes the upper end of the lever 2T and moves it rearwardly. The parts are so proportioned that the locking dog need swing rearwardly through only a small angle in order to throw the door of the electric coupler wide open, as will be evident by comparing the positions of the parts in Figs. 3 and 4. In other words, the doors of the electric couplers on two meeting cars are swung out of the way while the electric couplers are still so far apart that the doors cannot interfere with each other. Then, as the cars come closer together, the locking dog of the car coupler continues to be driven back from the position illustrated in Fig. 4 to that in Fig. 5. The parts are so proportioned that when the locking dog is in or near its unlocking position the highest point in the arm 21 lies in the plane of the under face of the dog, as shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, the locking dog can swing still farther back just as though the arm 21 were not present. It will thus iba-seen 4that itf' is :unnecessary toudepend upon extreme-ly` accurate 'dimensions` lor;` adjust-s ments ini order thateach desired `result maybe secured `at"exactly theright time, since'the4 door` 5 tofthe coupler" may normally be opened so quicklyi thatcomparatively wide variations. in

thefdimen'sions and conditions `of various'cari couplers wouldnot prevent the doors from. openingquicklyenough;` movements ofthe locking ,oirdogssare not limited in any Wayfby thapresence, of f the.foperatingrmechanism for the coupler V5;; coupling.

It is necessary that the arm Y22be shiftedinto antidlerposition whenever cars are uncoupled, sof

asi to permit :the 4coupler :door to aclose. To` accomplish this. I provide aspringathat tends'l constantlyfto` hold the,A shaft` L, in what Vmay be termed its normal idle;position. However, itis not` desirable that this ,sp-ring should offer resistance tothe openingofthe door, and I therefore make provision forfpermitting the shaft 20 I :mito-turn independentlyfof this spring while turning from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to approximately that'illustratecl in Fig. '4 or; while the door isibeing opened.

The spring29 for turning theshaft 20 `in one notdirection surrounds arod 3|JJte1escoped and-slidablein a tube 3|. On the outer endof the rod 3llis` a `head y33 against whichi-,oneiend ofthe A' springbears, and this'I head is journaled on a `pin 34 that `extends through` the same and through a- ;5..pair` of `ears 35 rising fromthe `top ofthe electric coupler housing near the-front end.` At the rear endof` the tubular member 3l` of the telescoped,`

assembly, is a head 36 similar to the head 33 and serving as an abutment for the rear end of theV o spring 29,..A The head 36 lies between the arms of` aU-shaped casting 31 straddling the arm 21 and journaled on theshaft 20 which extends through' the free ends thereof; the head 36 being swiveled `tothis `casting by a pin 38 extending f 5, through thesame `and through the two` arms of the latter.- The# arm 21 *has a rearwardly projecting tail piece 39 at the base-end thereof this` tail piece being long enough to engage with the cross ban 4l! of thecasting `31..v This crossbargin. o .the-normal idle positions `of partsengagesxwith from the top` of the housing of the electric` coupier, as shownin Fig. 3. At this time. the shaft 2IJfmay be turned through a substantial angle ismael; and forth from. the extreme forward Yposition illustrated in Fig. 3. When the locking dog is swung rearwardly,.the shaft 20 'and its arm 21 are turned backward until or just before the door is opened, thereby meeting only the resistance LNef thedoor springlZ... However, about the time that the door is fully open the lug or tail 39 on the arm 21 strikes the cross bar 40 on the U- shaped casting 31 and causes this casting to swing in unison with the shaft. In Fig. 4 the 5 locking dog has moved back a little past the point to which the door is fully openl and the casting 31 has been swung forward until the cross bar is clear of the stop 4I, so that the spring 29 has been compressed somewhat. In

0 Fig. 5 the shaft has been turned to carry the arm 21 to its rearward limit, and the spring 29 is under maximum compression. When the locking -dog swings forward after the car couplers have been completely engaged with each 5 other, the spring 29 againexpands, permitting the front edgef'of an-upward projection` 4I risingl the-shaft Mito. turn in thefcounter-clockwise direction-as `viewed in the drawings, until the cross bar-40fstrikesthe stop'l, as shown` in Fig.. 3.

Atnthetimethecross bar 40 strikes the stop 4I, thelever I5Sis `no-,longer locked by the arm 22 againstturning: in thedirection to permit the door to ,closer and consequently, the spring I2V begins torclose thedoor. and, through the lever |5,to:turn theshaft 20 in the counter-clockwise` direction. If,. atthis time, two cars are in coupled relation, the doorscannot close; but, as soon asthe cars ;drawapart, thedoors swing upwardlyand close Vthe front. ends of their respective electric couplers.

While. Inhave illustrated and described with particularity only a vsingle preferred form of my inventiom. I` donot desire to .be limited to the exact .structuraldetails thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms andarrangements `which come withinlthe denitions of my `-invention; ,constituting the appended claims.

l.l Imcombination, a car coupler ,of the type .that.hassa.lockingdogmovablc between a locking .position andan unlocking position andserving .to engage av member onv a companion coupler tohold the two couplers together, an electric couplerA provided with a'door mounted on the under side ofv the car coupler, and door-operating mechanism ,mo.unted on.,the electric coupler and including,amember projecting upwardly into the path of said dog and adapted` to be engaged by-thesame .and driven in the direction to cause the, door. to` .open when the clog is moved to unlock the car coupler.

2.In;.combinationa cargcoupler head of the type. that contains `a. horizontally-swinging lockingfdog :that 'mustl be .moved` rearwardly to bring it Ainto its unlocking position and serving to engage a .memberon a companion coupler to hold the two.. couplers together, an electric coupler mounted underneaththe coupler head and having` a door, and door-operating mechanism mountedon ,theelectric coupler and including a member mountedto swing in a vertical plane andfextending upinto the headbehind said dog in. position. tobemoved into` door-opening position bythe dog` when the, latter travels toward its unlocking position.

3. In combination, a car4 coupler of the type that hasai locking dog movable between locking and unlocking positions and serving to engage a -member` on a companion coupler to hold the twocouplers: together, an electric coupler providedwitha door mounted on the under side of th'ecar coupler, a spring tending constantly to close s.aid,doo1',;means including arocker member tol open sai-d` ,door against the resistance of the spring,"A and pa second rocker member mounted on the electric coupler in position to engage with the st rocker member and first move it into its door-opening position and then ride upon the same while holding it in the door-opening position, an element of said second rocker member projecting upwardly into the path of the said locking dog to cause the second rocker member to be actuated by the dog when the latter is moved to unlock the car coupler.

4. In combination, a car coupler of the type that has a locking clog movable between locking and unlocking positions and serving to engage a member on a companion coupler to hold the two couplers together, an electric coupler provided with a door mounted on the under side of the car coupler, a spring tending constantly to cow close said door, means including a rocker member to open said door against the resistance of the spring, a second rocker member mounted on the electric coupler in position to engage with the rst rocker member and rst move it into the door-opening position and then ride upon the same while holding it in the door-opening position, an element of said second rocker member projecting upwardly into the path of the said locking dog to cause the second rocker member to be actuated by the dog when the latter is moved to unlock the car coupler, the parts being so proportioned that said locking dog at an intermediate point in a stroke thereof ceases to cause further movement of said second rocker member and simply rides upon the latter, and a spring acting on the second rocker member and tending constantly to hold it against being moved by the locking dog.

5. In combination, a car coupler of the type that has a locking dog movable between a locking position and an unlocking position and serving to engage a member on a companion coupler to hold the two couplers together, an electric coupler provided with a door mounted on the under side of the car coupler, and door-operating mechanism including a member mounted on the electric coupler and projecting upwardly into the path of said dog and adapted to be engaged by the same and driven in the direction to cause the door to open when the dog is moved toward its unlocking position.

6. In combination, a car coupler head of the type that contains a swinging locking dog serving to engage a member on a companion coupler to hold the two couplers together, said head having an opening in the bottom, an electric coupler mounted underneath the coupler head and having a door, and door-operating mechanism including a movable member mounted on and extending up from the electric coupler through said opening and into the path of movement of said dog and adapted to be engaged by the same and driven in the direction to open when the dog is `moved toward its unlocking position.

7. In combination, a car coupler head that has an opening in the bottom and contains a horizontally-swinging locking dog that must be moved rearwardly to bring it into its unlocking position and serving to engage a member on a companion coupler to hold the two couplers together, an electric coupler mounted underneath the coupler head and having a door, and dooroperating mechanism including a member mounted on the electric coupler to swing in a vertical plane and extending up through said opening behind and in the path of said dog soas to be moved into door-opening position b-y the dog when the latter travels toward its unlocking position.

8. In combination, a car coupler head that has an opening in the bottom and contains a locking dog movable between locking and unlocking positions and serving to engage a member on a companion coupler to hold the two couplers together, an electric coupler mounted on the under side of the car coupler and provided with a door, a spring tending constantly to close said door, means including a rocker member mounted on the electric coupler to open said door against the resistance of the spring, a second rocker member mounted on the electric coupler in position to engage with the rst rocker member and rst move it into its door-opening position and then ride upon the same while holding it in the door-opening position, an element of said second rocker member projecting upwardly through said opening in the coupler head into the path of the said locking dog to cause the second rocker member to be actuated by the dog when the latter is moved to unlock the car coupler, and spring means cooperating with said second rocker member to return it to its starting point when said dog moves into its starting point when said dog moves into its locking position.

9. In combination, a car coupler of the type that has a locking dog movable between locking and, unlocking positions and serving to engage a member on a companion coupler to hold the two couplers together, an electric coupler provided with a door mounted on the under side of the car coupler, a spring tending constantly to close said door, means including a rocker member to open said door against the resistance of the spring, a second rocker member mounted on the electric coupler in position to engage with the rst rocker member and rst move it into the door-opening position and then ride upon the same while holding it in the door-opening position, an element of said second rocker member projecting upwardly into the path of the said locking dog to cause the second rocker member to be actuated by the dog when the latter is moved to unlock the car coupler, the parts being so proportioned that said locking dog at an intermediate point in its stroke, from a locking position to an unlocking position ceases to cause further movement of said second rocker member and simply rides upon the latter, and a spring device cooperating with the second rocker member so as to leave it free to move independently thereof while the locking dog travels between its locking position and said intermediate pointl and stressed during the movement of the dog from said intermediate point to the unlocking position.

HERBERT E. VAN DORN. 

